The Story of Drak’thul - Lore with Nobbel87

It's time for our monthly lore collaboration with Nobbel87! In this series, Nobbel will examine the lore behind popular content on Wowhead, and we'll provide database links and guides so you can experience the lore and content in-game. Today's video is the Story of Drak'thul, the NPC who provided the clue for the Fathom Dweller mount.

Hello everyone! With the Broken Shore becoming an active questing area, a lot of you noticed and asked about Drak’thul. He’s been there since Legion launched, but I figured why not talk about his story and the secrets connected to the warlock...

Gul'dan and the Orc Clans

His tale begins as a member of the Stormreaver clan, following Gul’dan during the Horde’s first invasion of Azeroth. Gul’dan had searched the guardian Medivh’s mind, still corrupted by the Dark Titan Sargeras, looking for any useful information - and he had learned of the location of the Tomb of Sargeras. This was the place where the guardian Aegwynn had stored the remains of the Avatar of Sargeras, a place where a lot of power could be found, power which Gul’dan desired most. At the right moment, as Doomhammer marched to Lordaeron’s capital, Gul’dan gathered his allies and revealed his plan to seek out the Tomb. He promised power to all who followed him, more power than they could ever hope to gain by continuing with the Horde’s pointless war. Nearly every member of the Twilight’s Hammer and the Stormreaver clan pledged their support to the warlock. The Dragonmaw clan defied him, and they moved to bar his path. In the end, neither side risked fighting. The threat of mutual annihilation was too great. The Dragonmaw set out west to rejoin the main Horde force and warn Orgrim of what had transpired.

In the meantime, Gul’dan and his followers headed south. They met occasional resistance from humans along the way, but nothing that truly gave them pause. In Hillsbrad Foothills, the renegades commandeered a portion of the Horde fleet and sailed west. Unbeknownst to Gul’dan, the Black Tooth Grin orcs had nearly caught up to him. They boarded the rest of the Orcish vessels and followed in his wake. The Black Tooth Grin were not the only threat to Gul’dan. Far from it. Kil’jaeden soon learned of Gul’dan’s reckless betrayal, which had come as a surprise. The warlock had hidden his intentions well from the demon lord. Kil’jaeden prepared to annihilate his former servant for single-handedly dooming what should have been a momentous Legion victory. It was Sargeras himself who ordered the demon lord to stand down. Sargeras wanted to punish the warlock in his own way. If it was power Gul’dan wanted, then the Legion’s ruler would let him find the Tomb of Sargeras. He would let him come within reach of what he desired, let he foolish orc taste what could have been his. Then Sargeras would rip it all away, just as Gul’dan had done to the Horde’s hopes of victory.

We've covered the current Gul'dan's story in The Story of the Siege of Nighthold. Check out the guide by FatbossTV if you need help defeating this boss. Learn how the current Gul'dan differs from the older Gul'dan in this article by seeing the cinematic in Harbinger.

The Tomb of Sargeras

As Gul’dan neared the tomb, he could sense the godly energies emanating from within. The promise of so much power, so close at hand, consumed his every thought. The Tomb of Sargeras still rested at the bottom of the sea, and it would require the combined efforts of Gul’dan and his allies to lift it to the surface. The warlock led a ritual, weaving his followers’ magic into a single immense spell. The skies turned black as pitch, and the winds lashed the sea into a frenzy. Slowly, ever slowly, the tomb rose from the depths. A rocky island breached from the churning ocean. At its center was the colossal Tomb of Sargeras, an imposing tower that dominated the barnacle-covered ground. Not long after the Tomb surfaced, the black tooth grin approached the island. Gul’dan knew he did not have the numbers to defeat his pursuers, but if he could harness the tomb’s power, he could survive. He did not know what, if any, dangers lurked within the tomb, but he had little time to prepare for them. Gul’dan ordered Cho’gall and the Twilight’s Hammer to hold off their enemies while he took the Stormreaver clan into the structure.

As the warlock and his adherents hurried through the tomb’s shadowy corridors, they eventually discovered that they were not alone.... Long ago, when Aegwynn had transported Sargeras’ avatar into the tomb, she had also imprisoned a number of his demon followers at the site. Most of these creatures were dead or barely clinging to life. The Guardian had believed that the tomb’s enchanted seals would keep them contained. That much was true – the demons would never have been able to escape the structure on their own. Yet over the millennia, some of them had fed on the avatar’s lingering power, regaining enough strength to prowl the tomb. At Sargeras’ command, the creatures leapt from the shadows to tear Gul’dan’s followers apart. Then they turned their wrath on the warlock and flayed him alive, ripping the flesh and muscle from his bones. For a brief moment, his screams of agony shook the tomb. Then there was only silence...

Only a few of Gul’dan’s Stormreaver adherents survived the encounter with the demons. Before fleeing from the tomb, they recovered their master’s head, believing that it held great power. Outside, the Twilight Hammer still fought for their own survival.

Learn more on Wowhead:

The major raid in Patch 7.2.5 is the Tomb of Sargeras - check out our strategy guides! This raid opens June 20th on Normal difficulty.

One of the Tomb fights is the Fallen Avatar, referencing the area where Aegywnn trapped the avatar of Sargeras.

Many of the first Gul'dan's actions are mirrored - with a twist - the Tomb of Sargeras audiobook series. Give it a listen to learn how Legion Gul'dan survived his confrontation at the Tomb of Sargeras.

Drak'Thul in Warcraft 3

Led by Dal’rend and Maim Blackhand, the Black Tooth Grin cut down the betrayers and left their bodies to rot in the tomb’s shadow. Cho’gall suffered grave wounds in the fighting. He survived only due to his Twilight’s Hammer followers. A few members of the clan took the wounded ogre aboard a ship and set sail from the tomb. The winds carried the vessel west, into uncharted waters. With vengeance served, the Black Tooth Grin orcs boarded their ships and sailed east. As proof of their victory, they retrieved Gul’dan’s skull from one of the warlock’s followers. The orc who had sold his race into demonic servitude was no more, but Drak’thul was able to escape the tomb alive and the next time we see him is during Warcraft 3. Warden Maiev Shadowsong is trying to hunt down Illidan to put him back into his cage. His trail leads her to the shores of a mysterious island where they encounter the hermit Drak’thul:

“An orc! I smell the stench of demons about him.”“Rest easy, stranger. This old wanderer has no quarrel with you or your kin. I am Drak’thul, once a powerful warlock of the Stormreaver clan. Now I am the last of my kind.”“What are you doing here?”“Your pardon, lady but I am hunted by restless ghosts. They’ve chased me day and night for nearly twenty years. Perhaps if you silence them for me, I will tell you my tale.”“I’ll consider it.”

“There – those must be the ghosts the old orc spoke of! They seem to be re-living their last battle. They’re every bit as brutal and bloodthirsty as they were in life.”

We see the skeletal remains of Twilight Hammer, Stormreaver and Black Tooth Grin fighting with each other, so Maiev and her troops bring them their final rest and return the skeletal artifact to Drak’thul.

“The dead will trouble you no more, old orc.”“Thank you, stranger. Now hear my tale. Nearly twenty years ago, the great warlock Gul’dan raised these islands from the deeps. He sought to unearth an ancient vault that held the remains of the Dark Titan.”“Sargeras! You speak of the Legion’s creator!”“The same. After Sargeras’ defeat, ages ago, his remains were locked away in an undersea tomb. Gul’dan believed that opening the tomb would grant him the Dark Titans power. For his pride, he and the rest of our clan were torn to shreds by crazed demons.”“I have wandered these isles ever since, haunted by the ghosts of my slaughtered comrades.”“Your tale is as intriguing as it is dire, Drak’thul. It’s a shame your ghost lie silent. You deserve far worse than their company for what you set loose in this place.”

That’s the last we would see of Drak’Thul for a very long time while Maiev would continue her hunt.

Learn more on Wowhead:

Maiev is back in Legion. We encounter her while leveling in Val'sharah and the Demon Hunter Starting Zone. She tries to stop Gul'dan from taking Illidan's body, and is later held prisoner in Black Rook Hold. In Patch 7.2, she's teamed up with Illidan in Cathedral of Eternal Night and they have some fun dialogue exchanges!

Drak'thul in Legion

Now with Legion, the hermit returns and can still be found near the Tomb of Sargeras. When you try to talk to him, he will tell you to go away.

The demons are taking over this island, you may want to leave.Heh. You think me a foolish old orc, frail and ready to be put to the wolves? I was communing with demons when you were in swaddling blankets.You must know much. Will you help us defeat them?They are not your enemies, fool. Now go away.

At first I simply thought that being a warlock, Drak’thul didn’t see the Legion as our enemies but I was very much mistaken.

Very similar to how the Riddler's Mind Worm was unlocked, the community got together to figure out what the deal was with the orc and how to interact with him. I have no idea how they discovered any of this, I’ll link the guide in the description if you want to follow it step by step for yourself and I also recommend installing an addon called TomTom which will allow you to track down the coordinates.

Our journey begins by searching the Broken Shore for a weathered relic found in a mound of dirt in the feldust cavern. The relic is vaguely shaped like a skull, the major features have been worn down by the years, a skull of those that once whispered to Drak’Thul. With the relic in hand we return to the orc and ask him if he recognizes it.

Where did you find that? It has been many years... <Drak’thul turns the relic over in his palm, and then hands it back to you> The ghosts have long since stopped their whispers. There was silence, for a while. Then they began again. Different, deeper, darker.Tell me of these whispers.They do not come when I beckon, fool.<Drak’thul’s eyes are sunken and unfocused. He has his head cocked slightly, as if listening to something you cannot hear>Drak’thul?

Athu’gag magg’naggwa. Qor’naus’ agth Iwhuk. Lilth gag’huqth’ hoq.

You are yourself again. What happened?The whispers called to you. <Drak’thul sighs heavily, for a moment appearing very old and frail> I have learned many things on my years on these islands. I have delved into places I wish I had not, and learned things I long to forget. And now I wish to be alone, until darkness overtakes me at last. Go away.

And go away we shall on a treasure hunt across the broken isles to find Hungering Orbs. Some might say that it would be foolish to mess around with things that not even Drak’thul wants to be associated with, but that’s why we’re adventurers!

The Kosumoth Orbs

The first orb is found at the Nor’Danil Wellspring in Azsuna, coordinates 38, 37, entrance hidden underneath a tree. The orb itself can be found on the broken well inside the cave.

Second orb, Kingsfall Pass in Stormheim, coordinates 32, 75. The entrance is behind a purple bush and inside the cave is the spirit of Kangaxx. This elite hits so hard that it instantly procced my safety bubble so make sure to avoid it, stun it, root it, what ever you need to do to keep it busy while you click on the orb in the back of the cave.

Next orb is near Wretched Hollow in Val’Sharah, coordinates 41, 80. You can see a tree with a tiny blue spirit floating around it, on the ground to the right of that tree is a hidden entrance. In the cave you’ll see a table with a bit of paper on top of it, to the left of the table is another tunnel which leads to an Arcane Servitor who does not want us to disturb his mistress’ belongings. He hits quite hard if you let him, so interrupt his spell and pick up the hungering orb on the ground to the left.

For the fourth orb we travel back to the broken shore, from Deliverance Point travel south west to the great sea, coordinates 29 78. A mount that increases your swimming speed or an upgraded fishing artifact is going to be a great help since you need to dive down quite a bit until you spot a cave entrance. Inside are stream vents that will hurt if you touch them and in the abandoned tent we find our orb.

The fifth orb takes us back to Azsuna, to the Ley Ruins of Zarkhenar, coordinates 59, 13. Amongst the purple crystals we find the somewhat hidden entrance to the cave where we joined Valtrois and Stellegosa as they did their leyline magic. Near the broken table is where we find our orb.

For number 6 you’ll want to fly to Shield’s Rest in Stormheim and fly north to the waters of the great sea, coordinates 67, 14. In the distance you should make out a statue with the hand and axe just above the water. To the west of the statue beneath the waves is a Toothless Great White who did not have an easy life judging by all the things sticking out of him, but underneath him is the cave entrance. Again be careful of the steam vents as the hungering orb is in the middle of a deadly spot.

Number 7 leads us to Highmountain, fly to Skyhorn and make your way to coordinates 56, 38. Its on the other side of the mountain and don’t be fooled by the obvious cave entrance, that’s just there to trick you. You need to go through the smaller rock opening to the right, hidden a bit by a fallen tree. Inside is a bunch of poop, some skeletal remains and in the mouth of the skeleton we find our orb.

Orb number 8 takes us once again to Azsuna, coordinates 53, 26. Similar to the first cave, the entrance is hidden by a couple of bushes. Inside you’ll see a bunch of glowing mushrooms and in the middle of the cave is I think a rock formation although it looks a lot like a tree, at its base the orb is hidden beneath a bunch of green leaves.

Two more orbs to go and number 9 takes us to a sunken ship so fly to the Eye of Azshara, not the instance, the actual island south of Dalaran and once you’re there, head out to the waters south east ish, coordinates 79, 89. Find your way into the ship and I’ll let the recording just run for a bit since I have no idea how to explain where to go. I think I went to the upper deck which lead to a lower section and then found my way through a brown bit of sea weed which lead into a cave. There you’ll find a bunch of Crimson Rockshells just hanging out, having a good time while in the shallow waters on the right we’ll find the orb we’re looking for.

The last orb takes us back where our journey began, Drak’Thul on the broken shore coordinates 37, 71. Behind him on the table is the last orb we need to click on and you have to do these in the same exact order as I did or you won’t be able to interact with them.

Kosumoth World Quest

Upon clicking the final orb Drak’Thul laughs his devious laugh and says:

I thank you for ceasing the whispers, the endless hungering cries of the void are now yours to bear.

Azeroth itself recoils as we have unleashed an ancient evil.Kosumoth the Hungering walks the land once more...

We have attuned ourselves to the hungering orbs and opened the way to the void, allowing Kosumoth to return. That is what I believe Drak’thul meant with the demons not being our enemies, since there is something worse out there, the cries of the void have shown him this truth. Back at the Eye of Azshara a new world quest has opened up, one that calls for the death of Kosumoth.

“Sk’shuul agth vorzz N’zoth naggwa’fssh!”

This line according to WoWpedia actually belongs to another C'thraxxi, Warlord Zon’ozz, a boss found in the dragon soul raid who uses this line as he kills a player. Translated it means: Your deaths shall sing of N'Zoth's unending glory.

Why go through all of this trouble? Well that’s because the world quest will either reward you with a mount called Fathom Dweller or a pet called the Hungering Claw. Plenty of reason to get a group of friends together and bring the beastie down.

Sk'yahf agth huqth N'Zoth qornaus. = Your souls shall sate N'Zoth's endless hunger, another line used by Zon’ozz as he kills a player.

Kosumoth is located in the outdoor zone Eye of Azshara. Check out the zone page for tips on how to reach this area. This zone can also have better-than-average World Quests, and you can see if any are up on our World Quest Tracking Page.

Fathom Dweller is an underwater-only mount, shaped like an evil jellyfish, which increases your movement speed in aquatic areas.

Hungering Claw is a battle pet shaped like a tentacle. The flavor text is "Thousands of years ago, ten magisters were exiled from Highborne society for seeking power in the corrupting darkness. In the wilds, they found hunger, desperation, and Kosumoth."

Concluding Remarks

And there you go ladies and gentleman, that’s the story of Drak’thul and Kosumoth the Hungering. The warlock who followed Gul’dan into the tomb of Sargeras made it out alive, only to find his days first haunted by the spirits of those not so fortunate and then filled with the delicious whispers from the void. Who knows if he will ever be given another role in the story, but I thought that this treasure hunt was a very nice touch. Again, I have no idea how people figured out the locations of these orbs, but the hints to N’zoth, the void, Kosumoth spawning at the Eye of Azshara, pretty damn cool. Like I said, if you want to check out the guide on how to attune for this world quest or the guide for the Riddlers Mind Worm if you haven’t done it yet, links can be found in the description down below.

And with that we’ve reached the end of the video so thank you very much for watching everyone! Subscribe if you like my videos, leave a like if you enjoyed this one aaaand until next time guys....see ya!

Learn more on Wowhead:

Check out the guide to the Riddler's Mind Worm, provided by the WoW Secret-Finding Discord, and the "Riddle Me This Mount" overview by Purgatorywolf which explains the initial clues in World of Warcraft Chronicle.

Comments

Comment by Zanabest

Comment by Tombsv

on 2017-06-04T17:27:37-05:00

Ooh, this is awesome! I wanted to know more about this specific orc. And glad to hear it from Nobbel! He is awesome.

Comment by BeWasted

on 2017-06-04T18:05:49-05:00

Come one, come all to the GSF Discord! We're always welcoming new members who love secrets and helping each other out. From socializing, secret hunting, hunter pet giveaways all the way up to rare mount giveaways for our nice & trusted members. Come in, make some new like-minded friends and say hi. Big thanks to Nobbel87 and Perculia for the shoutout. ♥

Comment by TruthNZ

on 2017-06-08T18:31:17-05:00

The Kusomoth Orbs were found by overlaying the map on the table behind Drak'thul with a map of the Broken Isles, with the pebbles on his map marking each orb location.

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